ENLARGED PROSTATE
Published July 28, 2024 | 
WHAT IS IT?
Unless your prostate gives you trouble, you’re not likely to think much about it. This gland just above your groin does a big job, though: It makes most of the fluid that carries and nourishes your sperm.
A healthy prostate is about the size of a walnut. As a man passes his forties and fifties, the gland tends to start growing larger. It’s a rare man over 60 who doesn’t have an enlarged prostate. The formal term is benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH)-benign because it is not cancer Continue reading
ERECTION PROBLEMS
Published July 28, 2024 | WHAT IS IT?
Most men have a hard time now and then getting or keeping an erection long enough to have sex. While such problems can be upsetting, they’re quite normal. If you often have trouble, though, you may have what doctors call impotence, or “erectile dysfunction.”
What’s “often”? Not even the experts can say exactly. The answer depends largely on what you expect or want. But if erection problems make you worry a lot, strain your relationship with your partner, or make it hard for you to father a child, then they are happening too often. Continue reading
PROSTATE CANCER
Published July 28, 2024 | WHAT IS IT?
Unless your prostate gives you trouble, you’re not likely to think much about it. This walnut-sized gland just above a man’s groin does a big job, though: It makes most of the fluid that carries and nourishes sperm.
As a man ages, his prostate is more likely to act up. Continue reading
SEXUALLY TRANSMITTED DISEASES
Published July 28, 2024 | WHAT IS IT?
Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) are infections spread through sex. More than 56 million Americans have an STD, and a quarter of all Americans will get one at some time in their lives.
There are more than 20 STDs; we discuss 6 of the most common here. While a few STDs are only minor problems, many are harmful. Some can leave you unable to have children or increase your risk for certain cancers, while others Continue reading
Testicular pain
Published April 18, 2024 | Pain in the scrotum or testicles can be due either to problems within the testicle itself or to a problem in another part of the body, as your question implies. Infection in the epididymis (called epididymitis), part of the sperm-collecting system that is attached to the testicle, is a common cause. Also, the testicle itself can become infected (orchitis) due to a variety of agents including the mumps virus. Continue reading
Hydrocele
Published April 18, 2024 | A hydrocele is a collection of fluid in the thin sheath that surrounds the testicle; the name literally means “water tumor.” It may be the result of either too much fluid production or too little absorption. It’s a rather common condition that may occur at any age and may involve either one or both sides of the scrotum. In early childhood it may be associated with and hard to distinguish from an inguinal hernia. Continue reading
BPH and bleeding
Published April 18, 2024 | BPH, the acronym for benign prostatic hypertrophy, should not be accepted as the explanation for blood in the urine unless a thorough evaluation has been done to exclude other potentially more serious causes. The common symptoms of BPH include more frequent urination, especially at night, slowing of the urinary stream, dribbling at the end of urination and difficulty in starting to void. Bleeding is not a common manifestation. Continue reading
Blood in the semen
Published April 18, 2024 | Semen that is pink or red in color due to blood is known as hematospermia or hemospermia. Unless there is a history of injury to the genitalia, it’s presumed to be due to bleeding from tiny blood vessels in the sacs that store the semen (the seminal vesicles), but the cause usually cannot be determined. On the first occurrence, it’s reasonable to have an examination of your genitals including the testicles and prostate. Rarely are extensive studies warranted if the examination reveals no abnormalities.